A shoulder to lean on
by Niacin
Summary: One-shot about professor Trewlaney if she knew she was a seer. Features Dolores Umbridge and Fillius Flitwick.


House team: hufflepuff

Class Subject: Potions

Category: Standard

Prompt(s): [Character] Sybill Trelawney

Words: 1683

Sybill Trelawney was drinking her tea how she liked it when no one was watching: dark and with a tinge of sherry. She was trying to prepare herself for another lesson with Umbridge. She felt a bitter taste linger in her mouth and trench into her chest. With her wand she tapped her wand, enlarging her glasses again as she walked to her classroom. If she'd wore it the whole day with such large glasses they'd leave red imprints into her nose. She breathe in deeply, but squeaked as she saw professor Umbridge already sitting in the back.

Miss Brown and Patil came in first. They immediately walked up to her to the front smiling largely at her. Sybill smiled back. "Professor Trewlaney," Miss Brown gushes, "This morning I dreamt I was looking at myself in a mirror, but there was no reflection- do you think it meant bad luck?"

Sybill did not think it to be bad luck. She felt torn between telling it her was as it would fit how she acted here or between telling her it meant she needed to be more herself. Then the thought of the worried frown that had been adopted by miss Brown's normally cheerful demeanour a few months ago crossed her mind. Miss Brown had been gullible and worried to no end about her words. And on the sixteenth of october something had happened: Binky, her pet rabbit had died. "Do not fear bad luck, miss Brown," she answered calmly. "I think you should put a bit more time into being you, instead of conforming to others." Sybill winced. Maybe she should have said it meant bad luck or at least she should have put on her mysterious, all-knowing voice.

Miss Brown immediately looked relieved as she smiled widely back at Sybill. "I was worried about that," miss Brown barely seemed have listened to what she had said after about not having to fear bad luck. Miss Patil and Brown then went back to their seats at the front, while whispering frantically.

Mister Potter and Mister Weasley then came in. Mister Weasley was snorting loudly and Sybill felt a bit of relief of that. Sybill was aware that they were probably making fun of the dream journal they had to keep and might have made quite some of them up, however mister Weasley had shown to be more gifted then he realized and if it were up to her he would never even think seriously of her subject.

She realized all too well that sometimes it was better not to have the inner eye. Her eyes preened into mister Potter's scar. He must have thought her to be daft when she told him he was born in midwinter. It would have been easy for her to have guessed his name correctly as he deemed it, wasn't it? It stood in more than a few books. He was not just a boy: after all, he was the boy who lived and much of it had been her fault. Her words that were spat out of her mouth. It was not something she could stop.

She took a large sip of her tea. Amidst all the incense and chamomile tea it would be hard to smell the sherry with which she'd spiked it. She then started her lesson on Heptomology and Ornithomancy. Sybill had actually chosen an interesting combination for today as they students were required to conjure non-living inanimate birds, a small alteration to oppungo, that they would dissect and search for whatever occurred seven times. If the student was lucky it was the toe or the heads or the feathers and it would not need to dissect it- however those things often meant tragedies. It was great to put students off divination and often showed to her which students had a flair for her subject. It was gory, smelled horrible and seemed as wacky as it seemed to be savage. However this time she would not be able to teach it as professor Umbridge was clacking impatiently and Sybill started trembling with her hands and her words started to tremble. She could hardly drop her act.

Then Umbridge cut her off. Now,' said Umbridge, looking up at Trelawney, 'you've been in this post how long, exactly?'

Professor Trelawney scowled at her, arms crossed and shoulders hunched as though wishing to protect herself as much as possible from the indignity of the inspection. Sybill wished she could hex Umbridge or at least show her she was not impressed. After a slight pause in which she seemed to decide that the question was not so offensive that she could reasonably ignore it, she said in a deeply resentful tone, 'Nearly sixteen years.'

'Quite a period,' said Professor Umbridge, making a note on her clipboard. 'So it was Professor Dumbledore who appointed you?'

'That's right,' said Professor Trelawney shortly. Professor Umbridge made another note.

And you are a great-great-granddaughter of the celebrated Seer Cassandra Trelawney?'

'Yes,' said Professor Trelawney, holding her head a little high.

Another note on the clipboard. 'But I think – correct me if I am mistaken – that you are the first in your family since Cassandra to be possessed of the Second Sight?'

'These things often skip – er – three generations,' said Professor Trelawney. All the while Sybill was thinking about Umbridge getting what she'd deserve: the centaurs would one day deal with her. Sybill hoped that day was soon.

Professor Umbridge's toadlike smile widened. 'Of course,' she said sweetly, making yet another note. 'Well, if you could just predict something for me, then?' And she looked up enquiringly, still smiling.

Professor Trelawney stiffened as though unable to believe her ears. 'I don't understand you,' she said, clutching compulsively at the shawl around her scrawny neck. Sybill wanted to tell her all about the centaurs, but she could hardly do that.

'I'd like you to make a prediction for me,' said Professor Umbridge very clearly.

'The Inner Eye does not See upon command!' she said in scandalised tones.

'I see,' said Professor Umbridge softly, making yet another note on her clipboard.

'I – but – bit – wait!' said Professor Trelawney suddenly, in an attempt at her usual ethereal voice, though the mystical effect was ruined somewhat by the way it was shaking with anger. Sybill did not want to lose her job. 'I… I think I do see something… something that concerns you… why, I sense something… something dark… some grave peril…' Professor Trelawney pointed a shaking finger at Professor Umbridge who continued to smile blandly at her, eyebrows raised. "I am afraid… I am afraid that you are in grave danger!' Professor Trelawney finished dramatically. Sybill quickly drank her cup of tea mixed with sherry as she felt shame burn into her skin.

There was a pause. Professor Umbridge's eyebrows were still raised. 'Right,' she said softly, scribbling on her clipboard once more. 'Well, if that's really the best you can do…'

Trelawney felt shame turn into flaming-hot anger. Count to eight she told herself. She already knew looking at Umbridge's malicious, beady eyes that she would be sacked. Sybill would not waver untill the end, she'd cry, drink her sherry and be highly emotional. She would not show the collected, rational woman she had kept hidden all those years. Not even professor Dumbledore had met that part of her.

Only Fillius Flitwick.

Sybill met Fillius that evening in her private rooms. She let herself fall into his arms. "She will sack me."

"You've given your impression, dear," Fillius piped up reassuringly. "No talented student will ever take divination seriously."

Today Sybill felt particularly vulnerable. The inner eye came with a stabbing pain that could seize Dumbledore onto his knees. "I sometimes wonder if I should have taken Higglebottom's name," she whispered. "I wish we had not parted so abrasive."

Fillius looked suprisedly at her. "My dear, I would have thought you would have put that behind you by now?"

Sybill smiled weakly. Higglebottom had been her first love. They had dated and she had fallen quickly. Anastacia Nott had been teasing her about him. Sybill and Higglebottom kissing in a tree, Nott had said in a singing-like voice. Sybill had fiercely blushed and realised how much she had liked him. She had seen it then. Her inner eye had showed how his last name would be cursed. She had refused his name in fear. He had not accepted it calmly.

Thinking about it, made her feel broken. "I am so alone, Fillius," she whispered. "I wish I had married him that day. At least then we had died together."

Fillius took her hand. "Don't say that, Sybill. I won't accept anyone at Hogwarts being alone." Sybil smiled toothily at him. "Merlin, Sybill, you look awful." He raised his wand and she felt all her shawls fly away, just like her glasses and necklaces and bracelets. Sybil now waved her wand, feeling her hair smoothen and fall down softly. In the mirror she saw how different she looked. Fillius then kissed her as he had done many times before. Sybil moaned. Fillius then suddenly pulled back. "Merlin, Sybill, you are awful. You know that right, still going on about that Higglebottom. Many witches would have refused his name. His name is absolutely ridiculous!"

"It was nice of you to talk to mister Longbottom on halloween," Sybill then blurted out.

Fillius blushed brightly. "Well, er- yes, like I said, I would never let anyone in Hogwarts be lonely, least of all you, dear Sybill." Fillius then captured Sybill's lips again as he kissed her softly, pushing all whispers from her inner eye back. At once she forgot about every student that would die in the coming battle or about Higglebottom for that matter as only Fillius filled her mind. As long as she would be able to stay at Hogwarts, she would be near Fillius and she would be safe.


End file.
